Raising Awareness: Opioid Overdose Facts

By now, you’ve probably heard of the opioid epidemic and know that opioid-related overdoses and deaths are at an all-time high. As the crisis gains attention nationwide, alarming statistics are constantly surfacing on just how severe the issue has become. Below are ten very important national and Georgia-specific statistics. We’ll continue to update this list as more information becomes available.

Every day, more than 128 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids.1

From 1999 to 2018, almost 232,000 people died in the United States from overdoses related to prescription opioids. Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids were four times higher in 2018 than in 1999.2

Opioid overdoses increased 30% from July 2016 to September 2017 in 52 areas in 45 states.3

Drug overdoses killed more than 67,367 people in the United States in 2018. A majority of the deaths – 46,802 (69.5%) – was caused by opioids.4

Drug overdoses in 2017 killed more people than guns, car crashes or HIV/AIDS ever killed in a single year in the United States.5

Opioid-involved overdose deaths have been rapidly increasing in Georgia since 2010 (from 246 to 1,043 – a 245% increase), driven initially by increased use and misuse of prescription opioids (e.g., Oxycodone and Hydrocodone), but in recent years there have been substantial increases in the number of heroin- and fentanyl-involved overdose deaths.6

Our Mission

GUIDE’s mission is to improve community conditions by utilizing collaborations, promoting positive youth development, delivering specialized training and resources and preventing substance use and abuse.

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Marijuana… It’s more harmful than you think

GUIDE’s “Marijuana… It’s more harmful than you think” is a peer-to-peer campaign conducted by our Youth Advisory Board members, which aims to educate their peers and the community about the dangers of marijuana use.

Safe and Sober Prom

This campaign targets high school students during prom season. Youth Action Teams and schools partner to share information and alternative activities to promote safe and sober prom celebrations and prevent alcohol-related problems.

The current poster was created as a collaboration of the GUIDE Youth Advisory Board and Walton County Youth Advocacy Board and can be purchased here. Previous poster versions can be purchased at a discount here.

#MyStoryIs…

#MyStoryIs…is GUIDE’s Red Ribbon Week campaign aimed at encouraging individuals and groups across the state of Georgia to tell their story. Using one word only to complete the sentence “my story is…” during October 23-31, the goal is to prove that the best stories are drug free.

With the quick online request of a free toolkit, GUIDE provides all the tools necessary for you implement this campaign in your home community.